A new restaurant called Terra e Mare along Jersey City’s southern waterfront aims to become a “shrine” to aged steaks and premium seafood that has even bigger plans for the warmer months.
Terra e Mare, which translates to land and sea in Italian, formally began dining service late last month. The new eatery is part of the Hudson House facility at 2 Chapel Drive, which is located at the foot of the potentially growing Port Liberté neighborhood.
The endeavor comes from Landmark Hospitality, which is run by the husband and wife team of Frank and Jeanne Cretella. The entirety of the Hudson House property also includes an event venue, but Terra e Mare’s space occupies the ground floor and boasts sprawling views of lower New York Harbor.
Diners at Terra e Mare are greeted with a dry meat aging room upon arrival along with a two-tiered live lobster and shellfish tank. The restaurant’s raw bar serves both East and West coast oysters and other fresh seafood ranging from littleneck clams, bay scallops, sea urchin, tuna crudo, caviar, or a whole poached lobster.
The remainder of the menu comes courtesy of executive chef David Felton, who served ten years running the kitchen at the acclaimed farm-to-table Ninety Acres in Peapack-Gladstone.
Mains at Terra e Mare include bone-in veal, an aged ribeye, roasted black bass, lamb leg steak, or a feta-brined roasted chicken supplemented by house-made sauces like whipped horseradish cream, bordelaise, or a pistachio chili red onion variety.
For those looking for something a bit less decadent, starters and snacks include a grilled whole octopus, poached prawns, and a selection of pizzas and pasta dishes.
Additional plans are in place for the property over the coming months, as Hudson House will soon be launching The Stork Club on the building’s roof. Envisioned as a modern version of the famed Manhattan Stork Club, the space will be styled after a Palm Springs Rat Pack-style pool house.
The throwback vision will include a 50-seat cocktail bar complemented by live piano, fire features, and outdoor lounge seating. The final component of the revitalized property, which has been in development since our exclusive reporting from 2016, is tentatively slated to launch this summer.
For now, Terra e Mare is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. with a Sunday service that includes brunch hours from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
